Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-05-21
RAMBLES IN JAPAN.
PECULIARITIES OF TRAVEL AND
THE SURROUNDING SCENES.
Too Much Company at Bath-Pack-
men VS.. Horses Oriental Bicy-
cling-FestivaI of Dolls.
IREooRD- UsIos correspondence.l

RECORD UNION Correspondence
OTsU, March %, 1887.
The Tokaido is one of the most famous
highways of Japan, and has its beginning
at the Japan bridge in Toxic, and extend
ing 325 miles to Kioto, at which point /
began my trip overland to Yokohama Not
being in the best humor this morning in
Otsu, they having annoyed me by keeping
my passport and trying to override me in
regard to my kuuma fare, paid my bill
in most solemn silence, and arose with all
the dignity | possess, but alas, not taking
into consideration the low ceiling of a
japanese house. my dignity was drenched
in a shower of petroleum and broken glass
from the hanging lamp with which had
come in contact. | finally got started with
my new karuma man, Obuchi Dikichi, who
has been recommended highly in regard to
legs. He is to take me to Yokohama.
about 300 miles, for SO, and to-day has
kept his word as far as Seki in Ise, a dis
lance Of 43 miles, between the hours of s
A. NJ. and P. M, with a rest by the way.
For the first time | saw the old style
JAPANEsE TRAvELING-CART IN USE.
There are two clumsy wheels, and the body
of the cart, about six feet in length, rests
directly upon the axle-tree, and is car
peted with mating. A screen and roof of
straw or fine bamboo cloth completes the
vehicle. | saw a party of six good-sized
people, with considerable luggage being
drawn in one of these by two small boys,
and another drawn by two women, in blue
cotton tights, contained man and three
women sound asleep. Every native tray
eler carries gourd full land often emptied)
of some kind of liquor, these natural bot
ties are of many shapes and sizes, one be-
ing in the exact form of duck. Pleas
ants with beautiful plumage are hanging
up at most Of the hostelries. A most des-
perate climb up one of the nearest to per-
pendicular roads | know of brought me
my, now tandem, equipage to Tsuchiyama.
The road, here descending, is so steep as
to make 1t necessary to go a-foot, but |
found short cut through the grounds of a
temple where new fern fronds and the
close-clinging fcus quite covered the rocks.
This district is noted for its tea, and the
green cushions and long velvety lounge
like hedges add a special charm to the
landscape,
TAKING BATH UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
While about to take my bath at the no.
tel, and when Just touching the tips of my
toes to the boiling hot water prepared for
me, the whole family, father, mother and
three daughters, came to wish me pleas
ant bath. Before | thought ducked I'M
der the water, but l stood it till they left,
although it did seem as though they would
never cease bowling and paying compli-
ments all of which / returned, enveloped
like some of the people in Fox's "Book of
Martyrs" in binding steam. They did
go at last and | jumped out as red as a
lobster and leel red even now.
My dinner consisted of clam soup,
shrimps with a piquant sauce, a finely
baked fish, beef stew with onions, and an
other dish unknown, sake, tea and sweet
preserve. All served in Satsuma ware.
ALONG THE WAY.
MARCH 24th-Thism morning the shojii were
opened by a little boy in the next room,
whom | had heard talking about the for
eigner ever since | arrived; he kneeled
down and wished me good morning with
the self-possession of an old man. His
undergown was purple and his outer of
brocaded pea-green, faced with orange
dined upon spieed pheasant and went
ON my way rafting over fine road. The
camellias are in bloom, like drops of blood
amid the dazzling green of the leaves, the
trees being taller than our oaks at home
The many women in their doorways (many
Of the poorer houses built of mud, have
no shoji) spinning with frail wheels OF
bamboo surrounded by their children, was
pretty sight in every village street.
The red mail-carts, drawn by men,
passed often, for the mail arrangements, as
also the telegraph, are admirably well
conducted.
1t is interesting to note the different
styles OF English used in Japan Here it
quite savors of the sea, and the landlord
addresses me as passenger" and speaks of
my small luggage as "cargo." With
kuruma, man, cargo" and self, crossed
the Bay of Dwarf to Miya in a wretched
little steamer, a distance of twenty-five
miles. 1t was refreshing to see the water
the reach of yellow beach, in sunlight, d.
yided from the distant, sharply-cut ridges
by q line of black-green trees and, farther
yet beyond, masses of blue mountains
showed the white crown of Fudo-yama,
looking as great as the monarch of Surnga.
TOO MUCH LATE COMPANY.
My room at Miya is with lovely out
look, but l have just killed the first flea
of the season, as it hoped on my paper.
If you were to fire pea at any hole in a
japanese wall you would be pretty sure, II
1t went through, to put out somebody's
eye; as matter of politeness / always
bow, and say good night toward every
rNppn-bnln This I bod
in my room ten minutes when the girl
brought me card, on which name was
scrawled in English, and the words,
Come out, will tell with YOU" | thought
that with so much English language more
English manners were fitting, so l sent
word that if anybody wanted to tell y
with me they might come to ne. All diff
hculties were, however, at once remov by
the girl moving the wall aside, and thus
making it unnecessary for either of us to
come or go. With a stock of about ten
words we "told with each other until |
was tired, aud closed the conversation and
the wall. There are three servant girls in
this hotel, and each has but one eve; be-
ing in Asia, and with the story of the
three calendars of the Arabian Nights y
in my mind, there is something mysteri-
ously uncanny about these single-eyed
hand-maidens.
A NEW MERIT FOR MATRIMoNY.
MARCH 25th.-The day has been com
paratively dull one, the route living over a
level tract of country, with little save the
overiiowed rice fields, in which the stubble
Of last year still shows. There is a rail.
way running from Miya to Nagoya. city
Of considerable Importance, having neal
4o0,o0s inhabitants 1t is the center for
much of the tea shipments to Yokohama
Passed temple, where. long ago, while a
maiden was praying, rain-storm came
and as the statue of the god was exposed
she took off her hat and covered it, A
certain great nobleman happening to pas
quite opportunely, saw this good act, and
took the girl home and married her. Ii
is a good story; but the best part of il
is, that even to this day the girls keer
putting hats on the image, knowing the
saying that history repeats ITSELF" The
ruined castles of the old Daimios stand out
as the only relief in the landscape: il
hardly seems that it can be only twenty
years since these were deserted, they have
III